Ah, Death… (A monologue)

I’m not afraid of you.

Come when you must.

You are never welcome — not once — but come anyway, you will.

If you turn up uninvited,

you’ll have to step right over my dead body…

to get at my soul.

I don’t want you.

I don’t like you.

But when you arrive — whenever –

I’ll stand before you, and see you eye to eye.

And I’ll say,

“All right then… here I am.”

You and I, we’re not exactly pals.

You have been terrible to my favourite friend ‘Life’.

Life is joy, chaotic, wonderful!

Life makes music, is mischief,

Life makes people laugh so hard they cry.

And you?

Jealous, are you?

Ah, I thought so.

Life is my muse.

Life is the mad dance in my veins.

Sunshine on my face, sunsets in my chest.

The scent of rain-soaked earth.

Possibility.

Curiosity.

Vast, wild hope.

Tell me, Death…

do you have any of that inside your bones?

A little spark?

A little awe?

One blooming flower?

No.

Didn’t think so.

When you arrive…

stride in slowly, or crash in dramatically…

I will be ready.

Don’t expect me to surrender.

There’ll be a tussle.

There’ll be noise.

There’ll be a story.

And yes, eventually,

if the universe insists…

I’ll go with you.

Who knows…

we might even become friends afterwards.

I’m hopeless at keeping enemies.

But listen.

You better play fair.

You’ve got this habit of cheating.

You deny it, always.

But I’ve seen you steal people mid-laughter,

without warning…

like a pickpocket in the dark.

And others… aching, ready, begging…

you leave them waiting.

Cruel delays.

No rules.

No mercy.

No decency.

If you have a shred of honour,

show it.

Give me notice.

Let me time my farewell.

At least knock before you break down the door.

Ah… that’s right.

You don’t choose the timing, do you?

Sad you, you aren’t the master…

you’re just the courier.

How tragic!

How undignified!

Still, come however you like.

Sneaking.

Storming.

Laughing.

Crying.

I will fight you.

Rules or no rules…

you’ll get a battle.

But when you do take me,

I won’t sulk.

I’ll walk with you.

Wherever, whenever you take me.

And I’ll fill the road with stories of Life.

Stories so rich, so bright,

you might begin to wonder what you’ve been missing.

You might, just possibly…

change sides.

Until then…

stay in the shadows.

I’m still busy with my pal… ‘Life’.